Controversies in the Surgical Management of Sigmoid Diverticulitis

The timing and appropriateness of surgical treatment of sigmoid diverticular disease remain a topic of controversy. We have reviewed the current literature on this topic, focusing on issues related to the indications and types of surgery. Current evidence would suggest that elective surgery for diverticulitis can be avoided in patients with uncomplicated disease, regardless of the number of recurrent episodes. Furthermore, the need for elective surgey should not be influenced by the age of the patient. Operation should be undertaken in patients with severe attacks, as determined by their clinical and radiological evaluation

Rf-sputtering growth of stoichiometric amorphous TeO2 thin films

Amorphous stoichiometric thin films of TeO2 have been successfully grown by reactive rf-sputtering deposition. The proper choice of deposition parameters such as the rf power, the Ar/O2 composition and pressure of the sputtering gas, the substrate temperature, enabled us to obtain TeOx films of different thickness (up to 2.4 μm) with constant and reproducible optical and structural characteristics. The x value was calculated from RBS measurements to be equal to 2.04 ± 0.08 and all films showed good optical transparency in the visible and near infrared range. The structure of the films was studied by XRD, TEM and SAD, and it was found to be amorphous with the presence of rare and small Te crystallites